1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to erosion control logs and, more specifically to the packing and handling thereof and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a system and method for selectively stacking, configuring, compressing, securing and subsequently handling a plurality of erosion control logs adapted for delivery to field site, for the reduction of soil erosion.
2. History of Related Art
For many years, erosion control blankets and logs have achieved widespread commercial acceptance. Their use is worldwide. Erosion control blankets in general are discussed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/648,906, assigned to the assignee of the present invention. As referenced therein, the blankets resemble a form of fibrous matting in which outer layers of netting or other material are commonly used to form an envelope or covering about a fibrous interior filler layer of the type commonly used to reduce soil erosion and runoff from erosion-prone areas such as highway embankments or water drainage ditches. They may be manufactured from a variety of materials.
Another erosion control device is the “erosion control log.” Erosion control logs utilize fibers packaged within an elongate bag-type of structure for reducing hydraulic energy and filtering sediment-laden runoff. One such erosion control log is sold under the trademark Curlex® sediment log sold by the assignee of the present invention. The sediment log is manufactured from excelsior, also known as wood wool. The log is thus very porous, allowing water to pass through the wood wool, or excelsior matrix, progressively slowing velocity and filtering sediment as it passes through the log diameter. Sediment logs of this type are extremely flexible and contour to the terrain to maintain intimate contact with the subgrade. Additionally, they come with other benefits such as being lightweight, requiring no trenching, substantially eliminating disposal hassles, and being reusable while holding their shape. Such sediment logs are commonly used in place of straw and hay bale checks, which have been shown to be less than capable of prolonged use in heavy rains wherein the hay bale structurally degrades resulting in the hay fibers being washed downstream, possibly to clog various water flow outlets. This situation can exacerbate flooding issues. Similarly, silt fences, also commonly used, are prone to being knocked down when rain or strong winds are present, or can be run over by vehicles. The time required to pick up loose hay fibers from hay bales and/or to remove worn out, or dysfunctional silt fences, which must be taken typically to landfills, imposes increased expense to contractors trying to meet the ever-growing number of federal, state and municipal regulations. These regulations are increasingly requiring erosion control around construction sites. Additionally, new regulations are placing limitations on dumping waste material in landfills and restricting the burning of waste materials.
Examples of other prior art structures include those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,595,458 and 6,109,835, both assigned to Grabhorn, Inc. These patents describe water permeable erosion control bags having flexible mesh walls and wood fiber fragments contained therein. U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,659 to Mercer describes a mesh structure having openings and can be used as a sack or a bag. The structure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,659 may be formed into a tubular biaxially stretched mesh structure closed at the top and bottom ends.
Other teachings are present in the above-referenced and following patents, and comments made herein are in no way intended to imply any limitations in the teachings thereof but only to specifically address certain aspects for purposes of describing the related art. The entirety of each of the references cited herein should be reviewed for a full understanding of the related art relative to the present invention.
Additional references to erosion control structures include that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,215 to Jensen which generally describes a ground surface erosion control device. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,007,766, 5,584,600, 5,605,416 and 4,610,568 also describe erosion control barriers of various types and shapes. Some of the above-referenced patents describe sediment barriers for reducing the erosive energy of water flow-through on a water course such as a channel for increasing the deposition of sediments therein. The sediment barrier typically includes a plurality of individual strands interwoven and preferably crimped or otherwise distorted in an external configuration so as to provide, in certain instances, fiber-to-fiber cohesion which helps maintain the overall rate of the barrier. As referenced in U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,766, the sediment barrier of this particular design may be anchored in place on a surface or within a gully, so as to maintain the strands in upright relation to the water course.
Typical applications for such erosion control devices, particularly the sediment log sold by the assignee of the present invention, are for energy dissipation and sediment control in ditch bottoms, swales, and in waterways. The sediment log may also be used over bare soils and/or temporary and turf reinforcement blankets. A 360° protection around catch basins and drop inlet structures is also specifically referenced for the Curlex® sediment log as are uses in curb and drainage outlets. Finally, the Curlex® sediment log may be used on project ingress and egress termination points or used in place of bales, silt fences, reinforced silt fences and rock checks, or as wattles on steep slopes. Further information on the Curlex® sediment log may be found at www.curlex.com.
The innovative approach to utilizing excelsior wood fibers in a sediment log comprising an elongated tubular member has been found to be both economically viable and environmentally effective for erosion control considerations. Due to the governmental regulations requiring protective measures in the area of erosion control as referenced above, the shipment and ease of delivery of such erosion control units has become important. Due to the size and length of the sediment control logs, such as the above-referenced Curlex® sediment log, shipping and handling is of major concern for both the manufacturer and the ultimate user. When the logs are improperly packaged they can become distorted and the efficiency in use for sediment control reduced. When the logs are shipped in an elongated stack configuration, the amount of space necessary for shipment has been shown to be less than cost effective. It would be an advantage therefore to provide a system for efficient, space-saving packing and handling sediment logs in a manner facilitating reduced distortion and ease in handling and use.